About Global Kitchen

Comments Off | June 27, 2012

Global Kitchen was born out of a love for food, culture, stories, and shared meals. All of these elements are brought together through our immigrant-led cooking classes. Through our in-person cooking classes Global Kitchen preserves traditional recipes and establishes a space for vibrant cultural exchange. We invite you to attend our classes and celebrate our chef instructor’s culture, passion for food, and traditional recipes.

Ryan Brown
CEO & Co-Founder

Ryan Brown spent the first seven years of his working life in finance. During his three years as an equity trader, he kept his sanity by volunteering with food policy organizations in his free time. Spurred by this work Ryan founded an organization in Chicago with the goal of making local, sustainable meat and produce accessible to everyone, not just those who could afford it. He established CSAs connecting his neighbors to local farmers and launched community gardens and composting centers. Using fresh food from farmers markets, he hosted monthly community meals, cooking for his neighbors including those who were homeless. Ryan’s passion for this work led him to a Master of Public Administration degree at NYU Wagner with a specialization in International Development. When not in his own kitchen, he enjoys exploring NYC’s restaurants. Current favorite cuisines include Turkish and Tibetan and he is always on the hunt for the best Mexican mole.

Pete Freeman
Co-Founder

Pete Freeman recently received his MPA at NYU Wagner, specializing in International Public/Non-profit Policy and Management. He spent 2½ years in Senegal, West Africa with the Peace Corps consulting for artisan cooperatives to improve access to export markets, financing and business skills. Upon returning to the US, Pete managed seven country programs’ grants for the International Rescue Committee, which aims to improve the lives of refugees and those affected by conflict. Pete then immersed himself in the sustainable agriculture world as a Regional Fellow for the Rudolf Steiner Foundation. He will likely be found nodding to music- from West African or New York artists- and getting down with some Mexican or Thai food!

Leah Selim
Co-Founder

Leah Selim recently completed her Master’s in Food Systems at NYU where her research focused on sustainable agriculture practices, food policy and human rights issues affecting sub-Saharan Africa. Before graduate school, she worked in the worlds of marketing and publishing with a focus on writing and design, punctuating her career path with a few summers spent farming and teaching English in East Africa. She currently works as an editorial contractor for ReliefWeb at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. She received a BA in English and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

Learn more about Global Kitchen from our launch video below and our press coverage.